Pritchard's Bench Explosion Powers Celtics' 134-99 Rout of Bulls

The Boston Celtics needed someone to break open a slow, sloppy game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, and Payton Pritchard answered the call. The guard came off the bench to score 28 points as Boston ran away with a 134-99 win at TD Garden, improving to 2-1 on the young season. Pritchard's night turned in the third quarter, when he poured in 19 points almost single-handedly. He finished 7-of-10 from three-point range and was barely troubled by the various defenders Chicago threw at him. His barrage gave Boston a 30-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, and from there the result was never in doubt, with the starters able to watch the closing minutes from the bench. Jayson Tatum added 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a quiet but effective performance, while Sam Hauser and Hugo González chipped in with 11 and 13 points respectively. The win also gave a first taste of Celtics action to two players at opposite ends of their careers: 39-year-old newcomer Mike Conley scored six points in seven minutes, and 19-year-old rookie Chris Cenac Jr. added three points in his debut. Chicago, led by Norman Powell's 20 points, were undone by turnovers, giving up 39 points from 25 giveaways. The Bulls fall to 1-3 and will get a quick chance at revenge when the teams meet again at TD Garden on Friday, but on Monday's evidence they have plenty to fix before then.